The Notable Films of 2013: Volume S: Part 2

In this volume I look at the sequel to J.J. Abrams acclaimed reboot of the “Star Trek” franchise, a post-apocalyptic Ice Age tale set on a perpetually travelling train, a tale of bikini-clad and gun-toting girls getting into trouble in Florida, a film about young 1970s French revolutionary bohemians, a tale of a very twisted family, a somewhat daft western, a documentary about the heritage of an actress, and a martial arts fantasy tale.

Star Wars: Episode II & III 3DDespite the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney, Fox retains the distribution rights to the existing “Star Wars” films and so the 3D re-releases of the last two prequels remain essentially unaffected. With ‘The Phantom Menace’ 3D re-release pulling in a solid $43 million at the domestic box office, it’s no surprise that Fox is getting these babies out ahead of “Episode VII” in 2015. The surprise is the spacing – both are scheduled for early Fall, two weeks apart, which marks a far cry from the talk of one re-release per year some time ago. The extra dimension here should at least bring Hayden Christensen’s performance up to a two-dimensional standard, but it won’t make the painful writing and dialogue any easier though.

Still Life

Producer turned filmmaker Uberto Pasolini (“Machan,” “The Full Monty”) returns for this poignant English drama about an OCD council caseworker (Eddie Marsan) in the south-east whose job is to find the next of kin of those who have died alone. When his department is downsized, he ups his efforts on his final case, taking him on a liberating journey that allows him to start living life at last. “Downton Abbey” star Joanne Froggatt joins Marsan in the film which boasts a score by Rachel Portman.